Passing the bar

Friday

Jul 31, 2009 at 12:01 AMJul 31, 2009 at 11:50 AM

An associate degree in software development wasn't enough to provide Aisha Adams with good job prospects in a bad economy. So she decided to earn two more degrees: a bachelor's degree in computer science from Franklin University and certification from the Professional Bartending Institute of Columbus. The latter school is seeing record enrollment numbers as people of all ages look to make money serving drinks.

An associate degree in software development wasn't enough to provide Aisha Adams with good job prospects in a bad economy. So she decided to earn two more degrees: a bachelor's degree in computer science from Franklin University and certification from the Professional Bartending Institute of Columbus. The latter school is seeing record enrollment numbers as people of all ages look to make money serving drinks.

Adams plans on tending bar to pay her way through school. Other students have jobs and want to make extra money: C.J. Sturgell, for example, is a part-time personal trainer.

They all want to get into what school director Terry Meinhardt calls "a recession-proof industry."

The Columbus school, part of a national franchise, has seen enrollment double in the span of a year, from about 250 in 2007 to about 500 in 2008. This year's admissions are on pace to exceed 700, said Troy Poland, education director.

Poland said most students are in their 20s and 30s, but he has been seeing an increase in students in their 50s and 60s, many of them looking to make money in the post-retirement world.

Meinhardt said a former neurosurgeon in his 70s recently completed the course and is tending bar at a country club. She added that the school has seen a lot of real-estate agents and mortgage brokers come through -- even bank vice presidents -- amid the recession.

Because of rising enrollment, the school has add a morning class to its afternoon and evening offerings. The two-week course costs about $800, and the franchise is certified by the Ohio State Board of Career Colleges and Schools.

Each class is part lecture and part practice, with students taking turns being bartender and customer. They mix drinks with simulated alcohol, unless the drink requires a certain appearance.

Sturgell, the personal trainer nearing the end of his bar training, makes a Patriot Missile shooter layering real grenadine, creme de cacao and blue curacao with a splash of Bacardi 151 on top. Sturgell takes out a lighter and sets the top of the red, white and blue shooter aflame.

"You can't fake that," Meinhardt said, applauding Sturgell's prowess.

Although the instructors admit most students won't need to make such complex drinks very often, they know students will at least be prepared in an increasingly competitive environment.

"We've been getting a crazy amount of applications," said Amy Brennick, chief operations officer for Betty's Family of Restaurants who oversees hiring for the company's four restaurants and bars. "I'd say about three times the amount we normally have in the past."

In 2008, bartenders in Columbus made on average $8.90 an hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But that figure does not include tips, which can bump pay much higher.

The industry is growing in central Ohio, said Bill LaFayette, vice president for economic analysis at the Columbus Chamber. He said job growth of 10.4 percent is expected between 2006 and 2016. But he said the bartending industry typically has more replacement positions rather than new ones.

"It's an occupation with a lot of churn," LaFayette said. "It doesn't pay well but it's fairly easy to get into. There's this image of a bartender as somebody with a fun and entertaining job."

Fun and entertaining are exactly what bars are looking for in potential employees. Otis Oswald, manager of Betty's Food and Spirits in Columbus, said demeanor is valued above drink-mixing skills.

"Since it's a job that's all customer service, we want to make sure they have a good personality," Oswald said.

At the Main Bar Downtown, manager Kristin Gardner said despite interest, most of its bartender hiring comes from within. She, too, noted that people are more likely to become a bartender because of how they interact with customers.

"I was just a regular here and my boss thought I had a good personality," she said.

Experience also is a factor in hiring. Brennick said her group's bars typically look for someone with a few years behind the bar. Todd Anderson, president of the Central Ohio Licensed Beverage Association and owner of Bristol Bar in Italian Village, said it's similar to going to beauty school -- additional training is needed after classes.

"Bars have certain standards, certain ways they like their customers treated," Anderson said. "School gives you that baseline of what's needed."

Poland said most graduates get jobs within two weeks of graduating, and that neighborhood bars are the hardest places for new bartenders to get hired. The Professional Bartending Institute has contracts with more than 200 businesses who only hire their graduates, mostly hotels and chain restaurants.

Columbus also is served by ABC Bartending School, part of a national franchise that offers similar courses. ABC Bartending did not return calls for comment.

The local institute's bartending students weren't too concerned about finding a job. Jude Cossey, who left his job as a Mississippi River barge transporter for bartending, said he was looking for a more exciting job that didn't require too much training.

"It's taking a risk, but I think I'll make good money," Cossey said. "I won't be rich but I'll be able to live comfortably."

Adams agreed, and said she hopes to work private parties to pick up some money in addition to her primary bartending gig. But she's not worried about her bartending future.

"When the economy's bad, people drink," Adams said. "Bartending is easy enough to pick up on. So why not?"

econnor@dispatch.com

"Since it's a job that's all customer service, we want to make sure they have a good personality."